Cherry on Top
by J. Peterson
Summary: Elsanna. After technically dying to save her, Anna is determined to find out why Elsa is in her room almost every night.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:**  
Frozen is © to Disney and... whomever else. No profit made, no infringement intended.

**Warnings:**  
The wincest is coming! If not your thing, please look elsewhere.

xXxXx

"Anna!" Kristoff's voice, calling for her; breathless, frightened and somehow higher in pitch than usual. Maybe because of the cold.

Oh _Gods_, the cold. It was everywhere, in her and around her; her steps slow and wobbly and her hands held tightly to her chest. Even the edge of her vision was freezing, but she was so close. If she could just reach him – and he was running now because the blizzard was suddenly gone and they could see each other – then maybe she'd be alright.

Maybe. Heaven knew the two of them cared for each other, but was it enough? She wasn't sure, but it was her best chance at saving herself, and so she stumbled onwards.

Another step, and then another, and she could make out his features now, then the color of his eyes, and then-

_SHHK!_

Anna was far too cold to process thoughts at her normal speed, and it took precious, precious fractions of a second before the metallic sound registered enough that her addled brain found it odd, and instructed her to stop and turn her head.

"... Elsa?"

_No... No, oh heavens, please no..._

She glanced away, her eyes briefly settling on Kristoff's running form. Save herself, or save Elsa?

It was the easiest choice she'd ever made, and with a soft, scared groan, Anna turned away from Kristoff, and somehow managed to will her freezing legs into a run. She almost fell during the very first step, but her eyes were locked on the scene in front of her; on her sister's crumpled form, practically exuding despair and Hans – DAMN Hans – swirling his gleaming sword as he approached the stricken queen.

Closer and closer, and Anna could feel tears escaping her eyes and freezing solid immediately. Oddly, she wasn't sad that she was going to die; she wasn't even sad that her sister had been the one to inadvertently kill her.

But the fact that's she'd never get to see Elsa again, talk to her, hug her, build a snowman, and so, so many other things? That was making her already stuttering heart clench weakly, and a stumble set her ice-blue fingers against the frozen fjord to keep herself moving as Hans' sword raised.

Odd, she considered somewhere in the back of her mind. She'd never been able to keep her balance on ice before.

_I'm sorry._ At Kristoff. Olaf. Sven. Everyone.

_Don't you TOUCH her!_ At Hans.

_I love you. Please forgive me._ At Elsa.

"NO!"

Everything stopped. Her body stood firm in front of Elsa – directly in the sword's path - and she felt the blood freeze in her veins a single, weak heartbeat after she willed her hand up. She saw Hans' sword strike her and splinter; saw him thrown back by some mysterious force. Heard her sister's weak, sorrowful sobbing.

If she could, Anna would have smiled peacefully. Elsa was safe.

Then, there was nothing.

xXxXx

**Author's note:**  
So I watched _Frozen_ after a rather… effusive... recommendation. (You know who you are!) Now I'm the proud owner of the movie on blu-ray, and lord above, these two just need to get on with it.

Nothing we haven't seen before in this short chapter; basically just Anna's thought process during the end. Next chapter will be Elsa's POV of the same time, and I recommend some sort of protection, because I am gonna kick you people SO hard in the feels. After that, some good ol' angst. And fluff. Fluff FTW.

I started getting scenes from this fic while watching Oh Land during a live performance of _Cherry on Top_. If anyone's curious, the official MV is available on YT; just skip to about 2:15 for the song to start.

Thoughts?


	2. Chapter 2

For disclaimers and warnings, see chapter 1.

xXxXx

_Your sister is dead!_ The words seemed to echo in the vast, empty space that now made up her thoughts. _Dead! Because of you!_

And Elsa was absolutely sure that her body had just... stopped. She could no longer hear the slight whoosh of the wind, or Hans' breathing. She couldn't feel the ice under the hand she was leaning on, or smell the cold in the air. But she _could_ think, though right now she was dearly wishing that she had lost that ability as well.

All she saw in her mind's eye was Anna. All she heard was her voice; laughing, teasing, pleading, crying and a thousand more different inflections of warmth and hurt and _oh Gods, no, no, no – not Anna. Anyone but Anna._

Somewhere, she registered the sound of Hans drawing his sword and knew why; knew that she was probably about to die. But care? No, she couldn't bring herself to do that.

She deserved whatever punishment was fitting for killing her beloved sister – even if that punishment was to die herself.

_You'll be there, won't you? s_he begged of the smiling Anna on the inside of her eyelids. _Waiting for me? Please, be there. I don't mind if you're angry – you have every right to be – but please let me see you again. _Her chest heaved in a silent sob._ Just one more look into your eyes, Anna; that's all I ask._

_We can build a snowman... _A sharp, hitched breath. _And then... then I'll go wherever I deserve to go. For murdering you. Oh, Anna, I'm so, so sorry. I never meant to hurt you; you have to know that._

The sword, she knew, was rising, and she tensed her shoulders; unwilling to move.

_Please know that. All I ever wanted to do was love you._

_I'll see you soon – won't I?_

"NO!"

And Elsa's heart – which had surely stopped beating what felt like hours ago – jumped at the familiar voice, which was not in her mind, but right next to her. Not gentle, as it had almost always been, but panicked, frightened.

Determined.

Disbelievingly, Elsa turned her head, and in a single instant, her heart started pounding so fast that the roaring thumping against her ribs was the only thing she could hear.

"ANNA!"

xXxXx

"NO!" She jerked to a seat and woke herself with a hoarse cry; hazy, wide eyes blinking into the moonlit room as she saw her hand stretched out in front of her face; grasping, reaching for something that was too far away.

"God..." Elsa of Arendelle fell back onto her bed with a harsh exhale, and wiped shakily at the tears she could feel on her face. Her skin was unusually hot, and a glance at her surroundings through blurry, ice-blue eyes saw the better part of her pillows and covers spread in a semi-circle around the bed, rather than on it.

_Just a nightmare_, she told herself as she squeezed her eyes shut and willed her heartbeat back to a normal pace in spite of her aching, hitching breaths. _It's over, remember? Anna is alive. She's alright._

… _Isn't she?_

The icy breath of doubt crept up on her, and its clammy hands clenched at her insides as blue eyes snapped open again, flickering frantically around the room. Anna had given her that intricately carved, wooden box that she now kept her jewelry in, she recalled. Not long ago; a bare week. Just a few days after... after the incident that still haunted her.

Or had _that_ been a dream?

Trembling, the young queen pushed herself to a stand on the chilly, stone floor, and ignored the glittering frost slowly creeping out from her bare feet as she hurriedly pulled a soft robe over her mostly exposed body. The shimmering, crackling ice followed her as she left her chambers and half-ran down the darkened hallways; swallowing against the lump that was rising higher and higher in her throat and blinking rapidly to scatter the tears.

Then she was at the door, breathing shallow, and although her hand was shaking so badly that she could barely move it, she willed it to grasp the handle and push; anxious eyes searching as soon as the heavy door opened just a fraction.

Her knees ached when they impacted the hard floors abruptly, and yet Elsa just stared; one hand in front of her mouth, and the other clenched tightly in the material of her robe.

In the bed a few feet away, was Anna. Utterly and completely dead to the world with tanned, bare arms and legs poking out from soft, white covers that had been hopelessly tangled around her as she slept. Fiery, copper hair – almost obsidian in the low light - was spread wildly around her head and shoulders, and Elsa could faintly hear her murmuring grouchily as the fingers of one, freckled hand dug into the mattress.

Slowly and silently, the young queen rose to her feet and closed the door again – from the inside – before making her way over to the massive bed and its single occupant. She knelt there, just beside it, and found a slender hand that immediately curled around her own.

"No more broccoli, Gerda..." Anna mumbled sadly, and Elsa was hard pressed to contain the watery chuckle that bubbled up.

She managed, though, and felt her lips shape a smile as she brought Anna's hand to her cheek and felt the real, living warmth beneath the lightly calloused skin.

_She's safe_, she told herself, and felt her heart lighten so abruptly that the sensation made her dizzy. _In spite of everything, she's here, and safe, and alive. Thank God._

"_I finally understand!"_ Anna's voice in her head – from not so long ago, when she'd climbed the icy steps.

_No_, she silently told the sleeping girl as she held Anna's hand in both of her own, and just watched her sister breathe. _You don't understand. N__ot really_. Elsa touched her lips almost fearfully to Anna's knuckles, and closed her eyes. _But that's alright._

xXxXx

**Author's notes:**  
OUCH. My _feels_, people!

Slighty longer this time, and I'm pretty sure the chapters are only gonna get longer still from here on out. To think I originally intended this to be a oneshot.


	3. Chapter 3

For disclaimers and warnings, see chapter 1.

xXxXx

The sun had long since risen when Anna's eyelids first started to twitch, though since it was summer, at least it wasn't anywhere near as high in the sky as it had been on several, previous occasions. It was, however, still strong and clear as it streamed through the large, glass windows, and the princess let loose a low groan as she turned limply onto her other side and yawned, followed by a long stretch and a deep inhalation.

Teal eyes blinked open in blurry recognition, and she pressed her face deeper into the mattress to inhale again.

Also today, that same faint, yet identifiable perfume reached her nostrils, and Anna rolled onto her back and peered up at the intricately painted ceiling while she attempted to kickstart her brain.

This was the fifth day in a row that she had detected the subtle scent of Elsa's skin in the material near the edge of her bed. Before that had come a pause of three days, preceded by an additional eight days where she'd also woken to register her older sister's already vacated presence in her room, and now, as on many of the previous mornings, she puzzled over the notion as she let herself slowly rise from a deep sleep.

Why was Elsa coming here when Anna herself was sound asleep? She'd already tried outright asking the queen if she'd been there on the first day that the – for her own room – unfamiliar scent her caught her attention, but Elsa had waved her off with a smile and said something about her overactive imagination.

_Riiight. _Anna rolled her eyes at the innocent ceiling. She might have bought that if it had been a single day, but at this point, even _her_ imagination wasn't this vivid.

Ah well. She pushed off with one arm and found a seat on the edge of the bed before hopping off of it and setting her feet against the thick, round carpet with a muted thud. A robe – smooth, soft pink - was yanked from its haphazard place over one of the few, padded chairs in the room, and she settled it over her shoulders; holding the front closed with one hand as she padded across the cool stone to the door, and tugged it open by just a crack.

It didn't take a minute before a servant was passing by.

"Alek?" She waited for the young man to stop, and smiled at him. "Find Ingrid for me?"

"O' course, Your Highness." Alek scurried off with a bow, and soon after, the door to Anna's chambers fell shut again.

_Well,_ she decided as she crossed onto a rug by her vanity that let her feet warm up again, _enough is enough. She's been sneaking in here in the middle of the night for weeks, and I am going to find out why if I have to pin her down and tickle it out of her._

Looking into her own, determined eyes in the mirror, Anna sat down and started to carefully brush the tangles out of her hair as she waited for her handmaiden.

xXxXx

Elsa, she determined much later in the day, was entirely too good at hiding when one took into account the fact that she'd spent the better part of her life in her own room, and not out exploring and causing the occasional havoc that Anna had. The queen had long since left the breakfast table by the time Anna had made it downstairs – which was understandable – but even after that, she hadn't seen hair nor hide of her sister and by now, dinnertime was rapidly approaching.

Granted, a good deal of Anna's day had been spent immersed in her own tasks; going over the monthly budget and inventory of the kitchens (she'd accidentally sent a china pitcher crashing to the floor when the head chef had gotten stubborn and her own gestures had grown larger in response), a frightfully extended session concerning what the capital received from and sent to other parts of Arendelle, as well as a long meeting with the heads of castle staff that centered on which members of the staff as a whole were nearing retirement, the ones that might take their spots, and any new – or soon to be vacant – positions that needed filling.

Arendelle as a whole was almost exclusively Elsa's responsibility. The managing authority of the castle, the capital city and everything connected, however, fell to Anna. The idea, when she thought about it, honestly amused her just a little; well aware as she was that their tasks were divided exactly as they had been among their parents. Elsa was filling the king's job, and Anna was, for all intents and purposes, performing as the queen would.

Had Anna been in front of someone she felt she could speak freely to, she would have admitted that as much as she enjoyed seeing the results of her steadily more experienced decisions up close, the tasks tended to give her a headache. That was why she tended to spend a little over an hour of her afternoons with the children that lived in the servant's quarters with their employed parents; playing, telling stories, and just overall letting the tiny, utterly enchanted faces wash away her fatigue like the spring storms did the winter debris.

She tried not to complain, though; even to herself. If _she_ was getting headaches, what was Elsa's undoubtedly heavier burden doing to her sister?

Perhaps, she considered as she lifted her skirt in one hand and started up the steps to the main floor, she'd be able to lure some answers out of her at dinner.

xXxXx

To Anna's slight surprise, Elsa did actually join her for dinner. The meal consisted of a perfectly cooked piece of mutton with greens and herbs that sent an enticing scent into the air, and was shared by the two of them at the same table.

She did, however, note that here, they didn't act like their parents had. Anna distinctly remembered her mother and father sitting side by side by a small table. In stark contrast to that, sometime in the past few weeks the table she and Elsa had previously eaten at had been replaced, and they were currently at opposite ends of eight feet of stained oak.

"So," Anna spoke up, and cleared her throat when her sister met her gaze. There were dark, tired circles under Elsa's eyes that only stood out more in the flickering light of the candles that had been lit as the sun sank. "I spoke to a few of the head townsmen today, and apparently the majority of the citizens are expecting us to host some sort of ball soon. Well.. more of a town fair, I guess, or maybe a fete of some kind."

She watched Elsa's blonde head – spun gold in the firelight – tilt in consideration before her brow furrowed; fork held in one raised hand. "Why?" the queen then asked, confusedly. "There are no holidays coming up."

"No, you're right," Anna agreed, and felt the corner of her mouth twitch upwards as she speared a hapless vegetable. "Apparently it's supposed to be on the anniversary of the Thaw."

"Which anniversary?"

"The two month one."

Elsa just stared at her. "You_ must_ be joking," she then said. "That would be better suited after a full year, or perhaps six months."

Anna shrugged, and chewed a slice of the fragrant meat.

Her sister exhaled, and lifted her goblet as she leaned back in her seat. "Well, it _would_ give everyone a break from the everyday," she mused, and then met the redhead's eyes. "Except for you."

She lifted one hand in a dismissive wave. "I'm fine," she offered. "I'd rather plan a huge party than argue with the trade representatives."

"And."

"Hm?"

"You'd rather plan a huge party _and_ argue."

_True_. Anna took a sip from her own goblet. "Still," she then considered, "it's something different."

Elsa nodded. "Have at it, then. Just no more surprise engagements, please; one was bad enough. I'm surprised you've taken so long in bringing Kristoff to me for that purpose."

"Kristoff?" She blinked, and cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

"Anna..." The blue eyes were gazing at her tiredly. "You meet with him every day. I'm surprised that he hasn't taken up residence in the royal wing."

"That Kr-" Anna's cheeks reddened noticeably as she drew in a deep breath, and tried to rein in the sudden flaring of her temper without much success. "Elsa, can you even _hear_ yourself right now?" she demanded, her palms slapping against the surface of the table as she watched her sister shrink back in surprise. "I _told_ you there's nothing like that between him and me! What are you suggesting, that I'm sneaking him into my chambers at night?"

A breath, four heartbeats, and a long glance that really was more of a glare into the clear, widened eyes at the other end of the table.

"Is that why you've been in there so often these past weeks?" Anna then asked a touch more softly, neck bending enough that she was studying the lacquered wood, and not Elsa's face. "To check up on me because... because you don't trust me?"

"No, I-" The queen briefly touched two fingers to her forehead and closed her eyes, then drew in a slow breath as she rose and approached. "Of course not, Anna," was the low assurance as she stopped just by her chair, and a gentle, cool hand cupped her face and brought her eyes up. "I'm sorry."

Elsa bent then, just a little, and when their eyes met, her thumb drew slow, caressing circles on the side of Anna's chin, brushing just the barest hint of her lower lip each time.

"I trust you beyond all good sense," her sister whispered, and her warm breath smelled faintly of the sweet, light wine in her goblet when it brushed against Anna's face. "Please don't ever doubt that."

It was enough to send goosebumps shooting down the side of her throat, and Anna let her eyes fall shut as she shivered in reaction. Then, in the blink of an eye, the touch was gone.

"I should go," Elsa decided as she drew back and folded her arms over her stomach; smiling in a way that didn't reach her eyes at all. "Plenty to do, as always."

"Elsa..." Her hand was halfway from the table; reaching, and her heart locked so tightly in the center of her throat that she couldn't speak any further, even if she knew what she could to say to stop her from leaving.

Slender, pale fingers curled against the edge of the door as Elsa halted – briefly - before sending a strangely tremulous smile her way. Her eyes were so _blue_ and so oddly apologetic while she paused just at the exit to the hall.

"Goodnight, Anna."

Then she was gone, and Anna's forehead fell against the tabletop as her insides churned in disappointment and aggravation.

That, she decided as she raised her head enough to glower weakly into the plate, had been utterly fruitless. While Anna certainly felt the need to examine exactly why she'd reacted to Elsa's thoroughly innocent touch in _that _particular way, she had learned absolutely nothing about the cause for the queen's late-night visits.

Well, fine. Then she would just have to be awake for the next one.

xXxXx

**Author's notes:**  
I think we can all agree that this fic skips a lot, and lacks a hefty amount of development as well as a whole host of other things, right? Right.

Wanna know something? _It's kind of on purpose._ Since CoT is my first Elsanna fic (like _Glimpse_ for ShizNat and _Weebles_ for BeChloe), it's fully intended to be brief. This is so I can try my hand at writing these characters and the world they live in, and avoid pouring in a shit-ton of effort, research and emotion, only to find that I suck at it. Yay for baby steps!

With that in mind, comments are, as always, welcome. Thanks for reading.


	4. Chapter 4

For disclaimers and warnings, see chapter 1.

xXxXx

"... and I thank the Kingdom of Corona for the latest shipment, period. The _Cresting_ arrived safely in the harbors of our capital, comma, and the goods within her holds found fast owners in the market, comma, as always, period."

The scratching of quill against parchment was the only sound in the room for a moment, and Elsa left it that way as she leaned back in the padded chair behind her massive desk. She'd soon after the death of her parents found that if she wished to perform all the tasks laid on her shoulders, there was little time for writing missives of her own anymore; she almost always had to do at least two things at once, just to keep up.

Currently she was dictating to her notary as well as reading a set of documents on another matter entirely, while other corners of her mind were preoccupied with reminders, points she wanted to make in future meetings, and bringing the drawing of a proposed renovation in the little used Eastern wing of the castle up in her mind's eye.

Acquired attention deficiency, she vaguely remembered her father calling it, and set a small dot of black-blue ink next to a paragraph she needed to make particular note of.

"New line, indent," she then spoke up once more, and heard the faint rustle of the scribe shifting the parchment. "On behalf of Arendelle, comma, I send the _Cresting_ to its home port, semicolon, its holds filled with both the items upon which we have previously agreed, comma, as well as a collection of luxury items for your citizens to enjoy, period. My nation and I look forward to seeing your flags breaking our horizon once more, period. New line, indent: May the winds blow ever in your favor, period."

More scratching, and then the sound of fabric against wood as her notary – a dark, slender man roughly ten years her senior - straightened. "Will that be all for today, Your Majesty?"

Allowing the short distraction, Elsa lifted her eyes to meet his, and let a brief smile touch her lips. "Yes; thank you, Anton. I'll send for you if anything else comes up."

"My Queen." The man stood and deposited the finished missives on her desk so she could sign them herself; then bowed deeply, and closed the door behind him as he left.

With scarcely any sound in the office at all, the minutes ticked by. Five, then ten, then thirty, longer and longer until Elsa finally shifted the last sheet of parchment from the left side of her desk to her right.

_Done_. She settled her elbows on the smooth desktop and rested her chin on her folded hands as she peered out of the large window to her left. _For now, at least. _Outside, she could see the top of the fading, summer sun just barely kissing the mountaintops, and she groaned softly as the view – combined with the growing darkness in the room - told her just how late it was.

Because it was easier than rummaging for a match, Elsa raised one hand and allowed her power to flare just enough to light it with a soft, blue glow that slowly extended and swept back the shadows. It was a recent little trick of hers; learned purely by chance when her temper had flared what seemed like half a lifetime ago, but was in fact just over a month. After Anna had left the castle atop North Mountain, Elsa had hated herself and her powers more than ever.

She had almost destroyed the structure in the process of venting her anger; firing magic from her palms and fingertips, aiming at anything and everything in a vain hope that if she just shot out _enough_ of it, it would be gone. It had left her drained and barely able to move on the floor in the hall, her hands gently pulsing with light as she struggled to breathe. Now she was doing it on purpose; keeping one hand lit while the other sorted the finished papers into piles.

Just as she finished, there was the soft sound of the door handle being pushed, and Elsa watched as a well-polished, black boot was the first thing to enter the room, followed by a shin sheltered behind a deep green, linen skirt. A knee was next; knocking against the door to push it open a little further, though the heavy wood didn't shy away fully until it was bumped by a hip.

Then Anna was there, her features halfway hidden in the low light but growing steadily clearer as she approached, and set a covered tray on the desk with little fanfare.

"You didn't come downstairs for dinner," her sister reminded her; head ducking as she leaned on the wood and removed the metal, dome-shaped lid. "I would've brought this to you earlier, but..." She trailed off, and her mouth quirked into a half-grin when she raised her eyes again. "I kinda got distracted, too. I guess we're related, huh?"

"Definitively," Elsa agreed, and allowed her lips to curve into a smile before her gaze feel on the admittedly delectable-looking, gently steaming meal waiting on the table. Now that food was in the immediate vicinity, she was positively ravenous in the blink of an eye, and after she'd doused the glow, she set to drumming her fingers on the stained wood as her sense of propriety warred with her appetite.

There was a huff of expelled air, and she raised her eyes to find Anna perched on the edge of her desk, arms folded and a very cross expression on her usually amiable face.

"Would you _eat_, Elsa?"

"Alright – alright." She obediently closed her fingers around the utensils, cut free a section of meat, then kept her gaze on her sister as she chewed, and raised her eyebrows inquiringly.

"Hrmph." With a nod, Anna hopped off the desk, and Elsa did her level best to not flinch at the screech of wood against stone when her younger sister dragged a second chair over and seated herself in that instead.

She did, however, clamp her teeth at the sensation of a head coming to rest on her shoulder, and in doing so, she managed to bite the center of a stir-fried pea pod so hard that one of the peas shot out of it, and hit a nearby vase with a soft, reverberating _ding_.

"Nice shot," Anna complimented.

"... thank you." Elsa cleared her throat, and decided to ignore both the heat in her cheeks, and the low chuckle coming from her right.

"You'd think I wasn't capable of doing anything for myself," Anna spoke up when Elsa had somehow managed to ingest more than half of her meal. To her, there was apparently nothing even slightly disconcerting about the two of them sitting so close that the scent of Anna's skin and hair was effectively driving her older sister to distraction. "I had to spend almost half an hour arguing with the kitchen staff before they'd let me take dinner up to you."

"You're beyond capable of many things, Anna," she replied, and willed the other thoughts from her head. At least the previous evening wasn't the subject of this talk. "But they were hired to make sure that you – _we - _ would have to worry as little about daily tasks as possible."

"Mm." Anna nodded, which made soft strands of hair rub back and forth over Elsa's partially exposed shoulder, and the queen had to quickly suppress a shudder. "I know, but it's still a nice break from everything else, right?" Her head moved again, and when their eyes met, Elsa almost forgot to breathe. "I don't mind worrying about the small stuff, and I _definitely_ don't mind worrying about you."

"I don't mind worrying about you either, Anna," she managed to reply, because she had to _speak_ to keep from using her lips to do something far more idiotic. "You really don't have to, though."

"Oh, right." Anna rolled her eyes. "This from the woman who just missed dinner by a five-hour margin." She straightened in her seat, and gestured towards her sister with one open hand as she looked into the empty room; as if speaking to a invisible audience. "I ask you."

Shaking her head slowly, Elsa focused her attention on the remainder of the dinner in question; only smiling a fraction when Anna flopped back into her chair with a grunt. The smile fell, however, and she instead had to struggle too keep her expression neutral when she felt a steady gaze come to rest there, and stay.

Separation or not, the queen knew her sister well. And that long of a look – particularly in silence – meant that Anna was thinking.

_God, don't let her ask about last night_, she pleaded mentally, and chewed a slice of vegetable. _Don't ask about it, don't ask don't ask..._

"So you're a nightlight now?" was what Anna eventually said, and Elsa's fork clattered against the plate as she jerked her head around in surprise.

"Ex_cuse_ me?"

Anna grinned; neat teeth glinting in the half-darkness. "Hey, I had a candle in my room when I was little. Kinda gave off the same amount of light your hand did when it was all glowy earlier."

"Glowy." She eyed her sister dubiously. "Is that even a word?"

"If not, it is now." Anna shrugged her shoulders and was apparently unconcerned. "I can issue a royal decree, if you like."

"No," Elsa swallowed a smile and shook her head. "That won't be necessary; I trust your wisdom, Your Highness."

"Smart choice." Her younger sister winked at her, then shifted until she was using one armrest as a backrest, and had her legs hanging over the other so she could watch her without having to turn her head. "Do it again?"

"The 'glowy stuff'?" the queen smirked.

"Yeees," Anna drawled, and narrowed her eyes at her. "The 'glowy stuff'. And don't be such a smart-aleck."

"Occupational hazard, I fear."

"Of what occupation? Being the queen?"

"Being your sister."

"There you go again."

This was good, Elsa decided privately as she watched the younger woman return to her previous, indignant conversation with the non-existent audience. Bantering with Anna was good, and newly familiar, and most of all _safe_. Banter didn't make her think of the twinkle in those eyes, or how soft those lips looked, or how the gently tanned skin would feel under her fingers.

Or of how Anna's voice might just break ever so deliciously when- _Stop it!_

"Come on, Elsa." The voice drew her from her thoughts, and she realized that her hands were clenched around the chair's armrests. "Do the magic."

"Anna, really..." She closed her eyes to gather herself. "I don't think-"

"Please?" Elsa could scarcely believe that her little sister actually had the audacity to _bat her eyes at her_, but of course, this _was_ Anna. Forward, cheerful, unapologetic Anna who adored life and all its pleasures, and who was quite possibly the loveliest thing that Elsa had ever set eyes on.

If only she didn't want to _kiss her_ all the time.

"Alright." Elsa gave in and gave up, and leaned back in her seat as she raised one hand to let the soft, blue light flare once more. Anna, she noted from the corner of her eye, immediately looked absolutely fascinated, and much to her older sister's both contrition and joy, then untangled herself from her chair and moved closer.

"Make something?" she then requested softly, and Elsa felt her heart pound in her chest because she was so _close_ and oh God, she could count her _eyelashes_ from here.

Still, she nodded and tore her eyes away from Anna's face as she focused. Slowly, a floating, ever-denser collection of ice crystals began to form over her palm, and with the faintest twitch of one finger, she made the chunk spin rapidly. Then – much like a furniture-maker would do on his turning lathe – she touched the index finger of her free hand to the ice, and carefully let it shave off the excess until there was a perfectly spherical ball of clear, blue ice revolving in the air over her hand.

"What should I make?" she asked Anna, but didn't turn her head because she could feel warm breath on her cheek and knew that if she _did_, she'd probably end up claiming her lips. "A snowflake?"

Her sister's giggle brushed over her ear, and she fought down the urge to shiver at the sensation. "How about a star?"

"If you want." Slowly, she maneuvered the ball until it was floating between both of her palms a bare hand's length in front of her own eyes. The fingers of her left hand curled as if to hold the orb in place, and with her right hand, she made a swift, almost chopping motion that left a bare half-inch of that side attached. The thick slice she'd removed clattered to the floor, and vanished in a flutter of white at the flick of her wrist.

Anna, she knew, was watching intently as she repeated the process for the other side of the sphere, and when she moved her fingertips to the center of the disc that now remained and let the star's five points take form as she extended them, two warm arms loosely encircled her shoulders and almost made the entire project disintegrate. Somehow – even with Anna's every breath tickling her cheek - she managed to perform the same action on the reverse side of the disc; taking care to let these five points mirror the first ones exactly.

As the last step, she lifted the crystal-clear shape to her lips and blew; a gentle exhale sending a shower of snow into the air that both hollowed out the star and attached to its exterior in a smattering of white that made it sparkle in the low lighting.

Then the touch of a single fingertip to the finished product combined with a thought, and she let her powers fade. The star dropped onto its side in her palm, and she moved her arm to hold it out to Anna.

"Really?" The word was whisper-soft and so close that she felt Anna's lips brush against her cheek, and since she didn't trust herself to speak at the moment, Elsa simply nodded instead.

"It won't melt," she told her a few seconds later; when her sister had taken the gift and moved into the faint stripe of what was now moonlight to study it. "Even if you hang it over a fire."

Anna turned to her then; a warm, open smile curving her lips, and before Elsa could blink, she was hugged again. From the front this time, she noted, and carefully returned the embrace with a gentle squeeze; her chin resting on Anna's shoulder instead of her face pressing into her sister's neck and just-

"Thank you, Elsa!" Anna almost gushed, pulling back and straightening with a smile so happy that it made Elsa's heart clench. "Hey; I'll hang it on the Christmas tree next year!"

"You can do whatever you want with it, Anna," she told her, and found a smile that was genuine even as her body squawked at the lack of contact. "It's yours."

Then there was soft, sweet-smelling hair in front of her face and scorching lips pressed firmly against her cheek, and she swore she felt her heart just _stop_ for a timeless moment until her sister moved away and then vanished from the room with a cheerful goodnight and a "See you at breakfast!"

As the door clicked shut, Elsa slumped back into her chair and let a slow, stuttering exhale leave her lungs as she stared unseeingly up at the dark ceiling.

_God, give me strength._

xXxXx

**Author's notes:**  
Longest continuous scene yet; for this fic and including both of them. IC or OOC? I think IC, but feel free to correct me; that's the only way I'll improve. :)


End file.
